World congress of Russian press in Italy gathers 250 delegates from 54 countries

September 24, 2012, 15:14 UTC+3The forum opened at the historical Castel dell’Ovo palace under the auspices of Itar-Tass on Monday

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NAPLES, September 24 (Itar-Tass) —— The participants in and guests of the 14th World Congress of the Russian Press are discussing the tasks and objectives facing the Russian-language media space on the globe. The forum opened at the historical Castel dell’Ovo palace under the auspices of Itar-Tass on Monday.

The 250 delegates of national mass media, Russian press publishers and industry managers from 54 countries gathered at a picturesque site on the Naples Bay coast at the call of the Word Association of the Russian Press.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message of greeting to the participants in and guests of the forum.

“Your traditional meetings keep gaining a firmer foothold with every single year and make tangible contributions to expanding the Russian language media space. They unite all those who love our country and who are sincerely interested in its successful development and promote the role of the Russian language and culture and Russia’s positive image around the world,” Putin said, adding he hoped that in Russian History Year the delegates to the World Congress of the Russian press will pay “special, priority attention to historical enlightenment and themes of saving the common historical memory and respectful attitude to the national cultural heritage.”

It is not accidental that Naples was chosen as the venue of the congress. This city in southern Italy has one of the largest Russian-language communities. Two Russian-language newspapers are published there “Our Newspaper” and ‘Whisper and Scream.” A special section at the forum is devoted to cooperation between Russian mass media and the community of compatriots.

Naples Mayor Luigi de Magistris noted the important role of journalists in society. They are expected to “tell the facts and explain their own point of view, without going against conscience and truth.”

The Archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Crescenzo Sepe in his message of greeting recalled the old-standing Russian-Italian ties.

In his opening remarks at the congress, WARP President, Itar-Tass Board chairman Vitaly Ignatenko, noted the importance of this institution for supporting and developing the Russian language media space.

“The Association makes an invaluable contribution to supporting the Russian language. It is through your efforts that this language can be heard in various parts of the world and helps so many people get access to the treasury chamber of human mind. We have worked for fourteen years now, and we shall keep expanding our frontiers,” Ignatenko said. He pointed out that the Russian language mass media were faced with challenges shared by the entire world media space.

“The instability of the world economy is bound to last. Moreover, the world crisis has entered a new phase to have exposed the in-depth problems of humanity. In a situation like this information plays an ever more important role,” Ignatenko said, adding that central to the congress were crucial issues of the influence of social networks and the blogosphere on the foreign Russian press and new opportunities and challenges of the Internet resources to the media space.

The first full-scale session was chaired by the editor-in-chief of the daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta Vladislav Fronin and Deputy Communications Minister Alexei Volin.